Windows Media Encoder 2 Pass mode broken

[bluesk1d]

Windows media encoder components have suddenly stopped working for 2 pass modes. I use wmcmd.vbs to do 2 pass vbr encodes for all my HD DVDs but now 9 times out of 10 the resulting file is just jumbled garbage with a clean frame here and there. The avs plays fine. I can't seem to figure it out! You can't tell it isn't working until you get to pass 2 and it actually starts writing out the file for you to view so it's very time consuming. I saw another post somewhere about this possibly of it being due to some Windows update but no one was sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated. This has put a screeching halt on my backups and 360 playback.

These are the options I use:
-v_codec WVC1 -videoonly -v_mode 4 -v_buffer 60000 -v_performance 80 -v_dquantoption 2 -v_mmatch 0 -v_lookahead 16 -v_loopfilter 1 -v_bframedist 1 -v_mslevel 4 -v_msrange 0 -v_keydist 30

[ACrowley]

Yea...ive Problmes too

i always get not full 100% in 1pass, its stops at ~90% and stars 2nd pass.
So the Result is Garbage

Dont know why its "suddenly" broken..maybe its caused by a Update .

[bluesk1d]

Not you too... I look to you to have answers! :p

[ACrowley]

Not you too... I look to you to have answers! :p

.....to bad

I think we have to wait for zambelli

There must be something caused by a Windows Update last Weeks.
Lots of people are having Problems "suddenly" with wmcmd ,as you can read in the main Thread

[bluesk1d]

Which main thread is that so I can follow

[zambelli]

Can somebody who's experiencing these problems please report the version of wmvencod.dll in their Windows\System32 folder?

[phatagnus]

Can somebody who's experiencing these problems please report the version of wmvencod.dll in their Windows\System32 folder?

I'm experiencing the same behavior that bluesk1d described above, my wmvencod.dll version is 11.0.5721.5145 (WMP_11.061018-2006).

[ACrowley]

I'm experiencing the same behavior that bluesk1d described above, my wmvencod.dll version is 11.0.5721.5145 (WMP_11.061018-2006).

Same Version here.

As i say i didnt change anything! Not WM11SDK ,not wmcmdvbs+Settings, nothing!
Suddenly 1pass cant reach 100% , os the outout is Garbage.
With all Sources/Codecs, etc etc

i only have latest updates from ms update site.

So i bet it must be caused by a Windows Update.

[bluesk1d]

Can somebody who's experiencing these problems please report the version of wmvencod.dll in their Windows\System32 folder?

I'm sure you are busy with your real job but have you had a chance to take a peek at this? Our Xboxes are getting lonely with no new WMVs to play :thanks:

[xbxduke]

Same problem, my wmvencod.dll version (system32 & syswow64) 11.0.6000.6324 (have vista 64bit)

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cscript.exe "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Components\Encoder\wmcmd.vbs" -input video.avs -output video.wmv -v_codec WVC1 -videoonly -v_mode 4 -v_preset better -v_bitrate 15000000 -v_peakbitrate 25000000 -v_peakbuffer 10000 -v_mslevel 3 -v_mmatch 0 -log encode.log


======== Begin Pass1 ========
Read: 40,7s (97,5%) Elapsed: 00:00:48 Left: 00:00:01 [0,85x]

======== Begin Pass2 ========
Encoded: 41,4s (99,2%) Elapsed: 00:01:58 Left: 00:00:01 [0,35x]

======== Encoding Completed ========

Video :
Codec: Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile
Expected bit rate: 15000000 bps
Average bit rate: 10847081 bps
Expected fps: 23,976
Dropped frame count: 0
Total coded frames: 1001
Average sample rate: 23,976
Dropped bytes: 0 bytes
Total bytes: 56555322 bytes

Overall:
Encoding time: 174 seconds
Average bit rate: 10847081 bps
File size: 56709336 bytes
File duration: 41,741 seconds

[ACrowley]

yep....as i say ive the same Problme here.
1pass wont reach 100% anymore

Doesnt matter which Encoder Settings i use

[bluesk1d]

Has anyone seen any news on this in other threads or anything? This is lame! Can't encode stuff for the 360 anymore.

[xbxduke]

No. Nothing seen in other threads. But i use windows media encoder frontend instead of wmcmd.vbs.

Only Frontend works for me.

[bluesk1d]

Using the GUI is an option but WMV PowerToy seemed really confusing to achieve the same settings as possible in the vbs presets since I'm a n00b. I'll have to give the newer version a shot. The screenshot looks less confusing.

So you use your avs with the GUI and it's OK?

[xbxduke]

Yes. Just choose in your Properties Sources Tab "Both device and file". Then hit "Configure..." for video, and browse for your avisynth script.

I use the Registry Settings (WMV Power Toy) from Ben Waggoner (thanks to Ben and Zambelli)
http://on10.net/blogs/benwagg/Elephants-Dream-Sample/Default.aspx

In Ben's Blog, you can find many more information about encoding.

[bluesk1d]

Excellent! Thanks for the link. Thats just what I was looking for.

[sbcale]

Has anyone heard anything about this being fixed? It has been broken for a bit. Thanks.

[bluesk1d]

Has anyone heard anything about this being fixed? It has been broken for a bit. Thanks.

I'm right there with ya... In the interim, you can combine WMV Powertoy and the Media Encoder GUI to get basically the same result.

[sbcale]

Thank you, but I tried that and for the life of me I can't get an .avs script to process properly. It is always causing some error. One of them was some out of space error on the begining of the second pass. I have 200+GB left so space is not an issue. I just can't get it to properly process a script. Works fine with wmcmd.vbs QVBR and in WMP so I am not sure what is wrong... :confused:

I'm right there with ya... In the interim, you can combine WMV Powertoy and the Media Encoder GUI to get basically the same result.

[xbxduke]

Thank you, but I tried that and for the life of me I can't get an .avs script to process properly. It is always causing some error. One of them was some out of space error on the begining of the second pass. I have 200+GB left so space is not an issue. I just can't get it to properly process a script. Works fine with wmcmd.vbs QVBR and in WMP so I am not sure what is wrong... :confused:

Try to encode only the video in 2pass mode and mux the audio with "windows media streamer" after encoding the video.
For time reasons put "TRIM(0,1000)" in your video.avs and check if it works for you.

[sbcale]

Try to encode only the video in 2pass mode and mux the audio with "windows media streamer" after encoding the video.
For time reasons put "TRIM(0,1000)" in your video.avs and check if it works for you.

Update: Nevermind, I found it with the rest of the Windows Encoder programs.

Thank you, I will try that but I can't for the life of me find a program called "windows media streamer" to mux in the audio?

[sbcale]

http://scale.smugmug.com/photos/259813227_Y7RMG-L.jpg

This is what I get on the start of the second pass when I encode using an avs script with the Windows Enoder front end. The same script works perfectly in wmcmd.vbs and plays in Window Media Player.

:confused:

UPDATE: I got it going. The filters I was using did not work correctly. The Sonic 4.3 Video Decoder didn't work right and when I switched to the Cyberlink one it started working. Thanks for the help!!

[xbxduke]

Update: Nevermind, I found it with the rest of the Windows Encoder programs.

Thank you, I will try that but I can't for the life of me find a program called "windows media streamer" to mux in the audio?

"windows media stream editor", sorry.

[ACrowley]

http://scale.smugmug.com/photos/259813227_Y7RMG-L.jpg

This is what I get on the start of the second pass when I encode using an avs script with the Windows Enoder front end. The same script works perfectly in wmcmd.vbs and plays in Window Media Player.

:confused:

UPDATE: I got it going. The filters I was using did not work correctly. The Sonic 4.3 Video Decoder didn't work right and when I switched to the Cyberlink one it started working. Thanks for the help!!

You Must set Sonic VideoDecoder 4.3 to "allow all renderers option" 1 in the Registry.
Otherwise you cant use it via Avisynth

[sbcale]

After messing with this for a while I believe that 2 pass is broken for WME front end as well as in wmcmd.vbs. All of my 2 pass encodes come out blocky, stuttering, and broken. Here is a small video only encode one with 2 pass and the other QVBR. Everything is the same except for the encode method. You can see the QVBR is fine while the 2 pass is not.

2 Pass:
http://www.mediafire.com/?towinzmbeko

QVBR:
http://www.mediafire.com/?uojttctitey

Is anyone else seeing this?

:thanks:

[benwaggoner]

I do a TON of 2-pass encoding, and haven't seen any issues.

[diogen]

I downloaded the trial the other night.
Am I missing something or is the cropping option gone?

Also, my understanding was Expression doesn't use parameter settings through the registry.
How are they set? What are the defaults? An encode that takes 5-6h in WME needs 24h in Expression 2.

Diogen.

[benwaggoner]

I downloaded the trial the other night.
Am I missing something or is the cropping option gone?
This the Beta 2? Yes, cropping should be there?

Also, my understanding was Expression doesn't use parameter settings through the registry.
How are they set? What are the defaults?
You can get to them at the bottom of the first pane, in the Advanced Codec Settings area. Check out my tutorials for screen shots:

http://on10.net/blogs/benwagg/21750/
http://on10.net/blogs/benwagg/21587/

An encode that takes 5-6h in WME needs 24h in Expression 2.
It shouldn't, unless you're using dramatically different settings. Although things have sped up quite a bit since the beta.

EE does by default use better deinterlacing and scaling than WME did, but also defaults to Complexity 3 instead of 4 and has all the VC-1 Encoder SDK optimizations, so it should be quite a bit faster by default on any machine with at least SSE3.

[diogen]

Thanks, Ben.
Found them.

Can't get used to those expanding menus...

Diogen.

[benwaggoner]

Thanks, Ben.
Found them.

Can't get used to those expanding menus...

Cool. Other than that, what do you think of the product?

There's been a bunch of tweaks and bug fixes since the beta, of course. But I'll definitely pass any feedback you have on to the team.

[diogen]

Haven't looked closely yet.

My main interest is the splitscreen original/encoded feature.
I could not make it work under Expression 1.

Also wanted to try the updated codec, maybe try HD DVD compliant encode. And see how it works with interlaced.

I'm using satellite MPEG-2 720/60p material as source (rarely 1080/60i).

Will let you know as soon as I have something to say.
Thanks, Ben.

Diogen.

[benwaggoner]

Also wanted to try the updated codec, maybe try HD DVD compliant encode. And see how it works with interlaced.
Note that 2.0 is really focused on Silverlight scenarios, and doesn't have any explicit support for VC-1 elementary streams for HD optical, nor for interlaced.

[diogen]

...doesn't have any explicit support for VC-1 elementary streams for HD optical, nor for interlaced.Bummer.
Having installed EE 2 Beta, will it share the encoding engine with other encoding apps?
Premiere? Canopus?

Diogen.

[benwaggoner]

Bummer.
Having installed EE 2 Beta, will it share the encoding engine with other encoding apps?
Premiere? Canopus?

Nope. It's a static lib, so it's up to each app to add support for it.

But we have made the VC-1 Encoder SDK free, so I hope we'll see it supported in every encoder. Bug your favorite vendors about it!